Sasha Oginni participated in everything from student council to the volleyball team to the coding club in high school. She also founded its Women in STEM club.
Upon her arrival at Queen’s in 2022 she naturally did the same, joining design teams and clubs of the Engineering Society, and the Smith Black Business Association.
While they’ve all been fulfilling for their purpose, she felt something was missing.
“I had a hard time finding what resonated with me exactly, and finding a community that was particular to myself,” says the second-year Computer Engineering student.
Oginni knew other Black engineering students who felt the same.
“We’re longing for the feeling of community and in particular with other Black engineering students because there aren’t many of us,” she says.
Nearly a year ago, later in her first year at Queen’s, Oginni found what might fill that void: the Queen’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
Launched in 2021, Queen’s NSBE is one of the more than 600 student-governed NSBE chapters. Most are located in the United States, and each works to fulfill the NSBE mission of increasing “the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.”
A big part of the mission for Queen’s NSBE is to also increase the sense of belonging and community for Black engineering students, says Nathalia Rosalle, a fifth-year Engineering Chemistry student and the co-president of the group.
That is especially important at Smith Engineering, she adds. “There are a lot of legacy families, parents and grandparents, who went to Queen’s and studied engineering and so many students arrive here and know what to expect. But there are also visible minorities here who don’t have that history and need those feelings of community and belonging as they’re going through something that’s new and demanding.”
It was exactly what Oginni needed to fill that void in first year. She is now the group’s co-president, with Rosalle.
Queen’s NSBE activities typically range from more formal events like networking sessions and speaker series to more informal socials like movie and bingo nights.
The group hosts study halls as well and has its own Slack channel focused on professional development. Members also regularly collaborate with the Engineering Society, other Black student organizations on campus, and Black Youth in STEM.
For Black Histories and Futures Month, Queen’s NSBE is collaborating with the Tea Room on a special drink, selling stickers and Black Lives Matter GPA bars. Working in coordination with Queen’s WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering), another EngSoc club, the proceeds will go to Black Health Alliance, a Canadian wellness organization.
Also this month: Queen’s NSBE will launch a mentorship program for Black engineering students. It will pair first-year engineering students with upper-year students in the Faculty, and upper-years with mentors from the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter.
Queen’s NSBE will send a few members from the executive team to the NSBE 50th annual convention in Atlanta in March. The four-day event will welcome 15,000 attendees and host a 400-plus company career fair, professional and personal development workshops, and networking events.
Looking back, Rosalle says Queen’s NSBE — and herself— have come a long way in three years. “In my first year, NSBE wasn’t here, and I didn’t feel as grounded coming into Queen’s. But now as I’m about to graduate from Queen’s, I feel grounded, more connected and supported. That’s because NSBE gives students that additional support so that they can excel in and outside of academics and afterwards in future careers. Being part of NSBE has been wonderful.”
Oginni agrees and says she couldn’t be happier trying to help other Black engineering students fill that void she felt in first year. “To finally come to a place where you can provide that mentorship and support to first years or to upper years who may not know how to engage in something socially, academically, or professionally has been incredibly validating.”
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